Charisma and talent overflow at Mountain Air Studios when Brooks plays finger-style guitar. What is it. How did he learn it. In a moment of Zen, it seems.

If you are picking, it follows you’ll be grinning. Just can’t help it. Brooks Robertson and I settled in at Mountain Air for a session that involved lots of goofball antics and some serious discussion on what it means to do “finger-style ” guitar. Wiki describes it like this: “the technique of playing the guitar by plucking the strings directly with the fingertips, fingernails or picks attached to fingers.”

But for the full sound, check out our conversation and two songs at the end. Brooks gives a nod to some artists in the genre who have influenced him. His mentor Buster B. Jones, Chet Atkins and, more recently, Vancouver musician John Standefer among them. Check out the Buster video, below.

That finger-pointing thingie is a great trick. Brooks explains how it’s done in our convo — one of many things that brings a grin of joy to fans. It’s a trick he took from consummate entertainer Tommy Emmanuel.

Inessa is PRP's Music Director and the driving force behind our local music initiative.You'll frequently find her surrounded by stacks of CDs in the studio or behind the mic, interviewing local artists. Listen to PRP